Hi all . Hello Admin
New to this site but been reading lot of posts. Nice to see the enthu in everyone .

I want to buy a camera. Either a Canon SX40 or Nikon P510 . Im also looking at the option of the Canon T3 1100D and which is very user friendly and easy. I need some help to choose.
I have not bought any expenisve cams besides those small digital ones.
I want to start take some quality pics especially in the coming holidays. Please suggest and give me some tips.
Budget is also an issue but if needed will shell out the little more.
Thank you.

Budget is an issue for everybody, be you a shelf stacker or an oil baron. You will need to be very specific and tell us your budget, especially when you venture into DSLR territory as you need to consider lenses too.

We'll also need to have an idea of what you're taking pictures of to give reasonably good advice - again, in the context of a DSLR, one lens we could recommend may not be suitable for your subject matter.

Out of interest, with your mention of the 1100D, was there a particular reason you hadn't mentioned the Nikon D3100 or other contemporaries?

Thank you for the quick response:)
Yes Truly budget gets to be an issue, the more one dives into these gadgets .
Honestly i have no knowledge on the lens part. But for now i would want to take pics more parties /indoors and the beach / parks. Im not into insect photography etc..just very good pics at a reasonable distance.
I spoke about Canon since i ve suggested by someone that Canon is the best.
The Nikon D3100 looks good like you suggested but then what about the T3 600D canon? Im so confused. Since both apprx are same price where i stay.
Again what lens for a start would i need. Will the 18-55mm be enough?
I would not want to go more than 700 USD- maximum 800USD .
Please suggest a few. What would be best.

And if i have to go for a compact Digital Camera then which one would you suggest?

It always depends on what you want - the 600D has the better video mode but in low light the Nikon has a slight advantange.
Keeping the camera small you should take a look at the Canon Powershot G1X - It's very close to your limit but it's a bit smaller than a DSLR and still has a great low light performance.

Hi Jiko.
Thanks for the update.To be honest im not a pro. The G1X has not yet been launched here and i see it little on the higher side of my stretched budget.
Please suggest more also some input on the lens for the same.
Im pretty confused myself.

To be blunt, whoever told you Canon is the best is probably a fanboy or doesn't know much about the competition. One brand may be favoured by another but that doesn't make it the "best" unless there is something only it can do comprehensively better than the competition, which is seldom the case with DSLRs in a similar price range. Canon may be the biggest player in the DSLR market but Nikon is far from a shrinking violet.

You would be doing yourself a favour to disregard the "pro" label - being a professional photographer simply means you earn your money through photography. Yes, it can be implied that a pro would spend lots of money on their gear but that doesn't mean a passionate enthusiast can't do so too. I don't make any money from my photography but I've spent a lot of money on my gear though there are chain smokers who've spent more on cigarettes than I have on camera gear over the past 18 months.

Despite the typically scathing reviews, I think the 18-55mm kit lens is generally superior to the lens of most compacts in terms of perceived sharpness and quality. It's when you compare it to other DSLR lenses that it looks mediocre at best. If you can spare another $100, a 50mm f/1.8 lens would be worth looking at too - sharp image quality for the money and good low-light performance. However, for indoor photography the fixed and relatively tight focal length of the 50mm, especially on a crop-sensor camera could make it a less than ideal choice if the room is small.

Thank you Rorschach.
You do have a good point.
So which make should i go in for. Yes the Nikon is looking appealing. The D3100 . Do suggest your view so it makes me easier to decide. I was just contemplating on the Canon 600D or the Nikon D3100 you suggested.
Can i take close and reasonable short distant snaps with the 18-55 for a start.
Thanks again

Both Canon and Nikon (and other brands as well) have great budget entry-level models. For Canon it's the 1100D, for Nikon it's the D3100.

However, there's nothing wrong with buying an older discounted model, the imagequality will still be miles ahead of compact cameras, and the less you spend on the body, the more you can spend on lenses (which keep their value over time)

_________________I take pictures so quickly, my highschool was "Continuous High".

One other thing we should have mentioned before is that holding the camera in your hands can really help you decide which your prefer. If you go to a local CE/photography store and handle a body and go through its menu, you could be surprised just how quickly you can make your mind up - I was looking at the Canon 550D and the Nikon D5000 equally before I held either but once I held both of them, I decided that Canon was for me. I completely agree with and respect those who say they chose Nikon, Sony or Pentax because they prefer the feel of the camera.